This invention relates to refrigerator dispenser doors, and, more particularly, to doors for dispenser ducts for icemakers.
Consumer ice dispensers that dispense through a freezer compartment door typically have a duct door that prevents or restricts warm moist air from entering the refrigerated compartment. The door is held in its sealing position by a bias spring. When either crushed or cubed ice is requested by the user, the duct door is fully opened by several different mechanisms initiated by pressure from a receptacle, usually a drinking glass. When the glass is sufficiently full the user removes the pressure from the mechanisms. A xe2x80x9ctime delayxe2x80x9d mechanism holds the duct door open for a few seconds to allow any ice pieces which are xe2x80x9con their wayxe2x80x9d to be discharged rather than accumulating in undesirable places in the dispenser system. After this brief delay the bias springs close and seal the duct doors. A main problem with these arrangements has been poor control of crushed ice spray.
It would be desirable to open and close the door with improved control of crushed ice spray. In one embodiment the door is biased toward a first closed position by a first magnetic force. A second magnetic force is then applied to urge the door to a second partially open position. The door is yieldably maintained in the second position until contacted by a dispensed item, such as crushed ice. The door is then moved to a third position more open than the second position in response to the dispensed item contacting the door. The second magnetic force is then released and the door is closed in response to the first magnetic force.